DATE: Monday, September 15, 1997            TAG: 9709140002

SECTION: DAILY BREAK             PAGE: E3   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: From staff and wire reports 

                                            LENGTH:   53 lines

NEWS AND NOTES

Year-round benefits of exercise are many

With the long stretch of time between Thanksgiving and New Year's coming up, exercise may help you take off a few pounds before this period of ``caloric abundance.''

Exercise should, of course, be a year-round part of everyone's life. Here are a few of the benefits:

Stress reduction. The tension developed in today's fast-paced society can be reduced by regular exercise.

Alleviating depression. Studies show an association between mental health and level of physical activity. Many authorities believe that regular physical exercise is effective in decreasing the frequency and intensity of depression.

Medical value. Exercise can be effective in establishing and maintaining weight and can also assist in bringing medical problems such as diabetes and hypertension under control. A medical clearance should be obtained from one's physician, especially if medical problems exist.

Better sleep. Exercise can be effective in assisting those suffering from sleep disorders.

Anti-cholesterol help

for menopausal women

For women whose menopause has been accompanied by high cholesterol, hormone pills may be the answer. A New England Journal of Medicine study found that the drug simvastatin cut total cholesterol levels by 26 percent, compared with 14 percent for estrogen-progestin pills. But because hormone therapy also prevents brittle-bone disease and might even ward off senility, it may be a good alternative to anti-cholesterol drugs.

Post-exercise rubdown

doesn't aid recovery

It may make you feel good, but massage doesn't squeeze away the strain of exercise. Scientists, reporting in the journal of the American College of Sports Medicine, tested the idea that a solid rubdown would press more oxygen-carrying red blood cells into weary muscles, helping the muscles to recover faster. They found that massage didn't affect blood flow.

Fat chance of keeping

weight off after diet

Losing weight by dieting is relatively easy, but staying slim after a diet is very rare indeed. In a Harris poll of overweight adults who've dieted, 65 percent said they slimmed down to their target weight, but only one in nine stayed there.

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